Label folding and pressing device



Sept. 15, 1964 Fi F. FORTHMANN, JR 3,148,874-

v LABEL FOLDING AND PREssING DEVICE:

Filed Aug. 16, 1962 INVENTOR.

Faoin/x F. Fa/YTHMA/VN, J2.

BY WW W jim,

Arran/ve V5 United States Patent O 3,l48,874 LABEL FOLDNG AND PRESSNGDEVICE Frederick F. Fortlnmann, Jr., 688 Pnscack Road, WashingtonTownship, Bergen County, NJ. Filed Aug. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 217,433 1Claim. (Cl. 270-61) This invention relates in general to devices forfolding labels, particularly cross labels, and in particular to a newand useful device having an improved hea-ting means for effecting thepressing of labels as they are folded.

The present invention is an improvement over the device indicated anddescribed in Patent No. 2,680,612 to Hubelmeyer. In this patent there isdisclosed a device for the folding and pressing of labels in anautomatic operation. A machine of this nature was satisfactory forlabels which were thereafter applied to individual garments by sewing orsimilar securing operations. At the present time, some labels aremanufactured with a plastic or resinous material on one face thereofadjacent each end, which material is adapted to be heat sealed in placeto affix the label to a garment. It has been found that the machineswould not operate to heat and press the labels into a folded shape whenthe labels included the resinous material thereon for securing the labelto a garment. When attempts were made to operate machinery of thischaracter with labels of such nature, it was found that after a shortperiod of operation, the operating elements would become completelyclogged with the resinous material and would no longer operatesatisfactorily.

Attempts were made to remedy the equipment in order to permit thehandling of labels of this nature on such equipment. Where elements wereemployed which will not adhere to the resinous material, it was foundthat it was not possible to supply a sufficient quantity of heat inorder to obtain a permanent fold in the label so that it would not goback to its original shape after it was folded and pressed. In theHubelmeyer patented construction referred to above, the label isdirected around an anvil-shaped member by means of a folding elementwhich contains a heating element. The folding element is presseddownwardly against an upwardly reciprocating anvil or slide member andheat is applied to the label from the folding member to carry out thefolding operation.

In accordance with the present invention, an improved arrangement isprovided which includes means for heating the upwardly reciprocatingslide member so that the heat for pressing is applied by this member. Inorder to prevent the accumulation of plastic material on the foldingmember which is adapted to pass over the portion of the label bearingthe plastic, the folding member is provided with a non-adherent elementsuch as Teflon arranged in a precise manner so that heating is notinhibited through metal parts arranged above and below the label, butthe plastic is not contacted by such hot metal parts.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvedpressing device for labels and similar strip material.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pressing device whichincludes an upwardly reciprocating pressing element having heating meansthereon, means for feeding a label over the element to align the foldline thereof 3,148,874 Patented Sept. 15., 1964 adjacent the edge of theelement, and including means for directing a folding member with aportion nonadherent to plastic thereon arranged to overly a plasticstrip portion of the label, and a metal portion adapted to contact thecorner of the folded label in order to effect heating and pressingthereof with jthe upwardly directed member.

A further object of the invention is to provide a folding and pressingdevice for labels and similar strip material having resinous materialadjacent one end thereof, which device includes two elements adapted tomove together, including an upwardly reciprocating slide adapted toengage adjacent the fold line of the label and a folding member adaptedto contact the free edge of the label and deflect it around upon itself,and including a portion arranged to overly the resinous portion thereofwhich will not adhere thereto, even when the material is tacky, andmeans for applying heat to the slide to effect complete folding andpressing of the label between said slide and said folding member.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved labelfolding device including means for handling labels having a plasticpatch thereon for securing the label to a garmen-t which device includesa heating element adapted to engage the label from below, and a foldingelement adapted to deflect the label around a centering anvil and toeffect pressing of the label around said anvil and the application ofheat without causing the plastic material to stick to the operatingparts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a label folding andpressing device which is simple in design, rugged in construction andeconomical Ito manufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use,reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptivematter in which there is illustrated and described a preferredembodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a front elevation of a folding and pressing device constructedin accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the device indicated in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on :the line 3 3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4a is a schematic side elevation on a smaller scale of the pressingand folding device in the initial position of operation;

FIG. 4b is a view similar to FIG. 4a of the device indicated inanadvanced position;

FIG. 4c is an enlarged view similar to FIG. 4a with the device indicatedin a folded and pressed condition;

FIG. 4d is a view similar .to FIG. 4a with the parts shown in the finalfolding and pressing position; and

FlG. 5 is a bottom plan view of a label constructed in accordance withthe invention.

Referring to the drawings in particular, the invention embodied thereinincludes a device generally designated 10 for folding and pressinglabels generally designated 12. The folding and pressing device l@ hasparticular application for the folding of labels 12 (FIG. 5) whichcomprise a front central panel 12a upon which a design,

trademark or other indication is placed, and side flaps 12b and lZcwhich are folded in respect to the front panel 12a about fold lines f4,I4 to permit the label to be secured to a garment by securing the flapsthereto. The label 12 is unique inasmuch as it has a strip or panel ll,16 of plastic or resinous material on each end which is adapted to beheat sealed to the garment for securing the label in position.

Generally, it is a simple matter to fold labels which do not have anyheat-scalable material or plastic thereon. With the label l2, however,great attention must be paid to the folding and pressing thereof alongfold lines la, ld to avoid having the plastic foul the operating partswhile still insuring that sullicient heat and pressure are imparted tothe label to effect a permanent fold.

The pressing device lll advantageously includes a movable rectangularslide block or frame generally designated I7 which includes two sideframe4 members i8 and 2d. The side frame members iS and Ztl each includeelongated vertical grooves 22 and 24 at each inner side face whichaccommodate a slide or heating and pressing member generally designated26.

A folding member or deflector generally designated 28 is pivotallymounted at 3th to .the lower end of the blockmember l2. In accordancewith the invention, the folding member 2S includes an upper pressing baror block assembly generally designated 31 which is secured at the upperedge of the folding member 2S. The pressing block assembly 3l includesthree substantially L-shaped parts: an inner angle-shaped pressingmember 32, the bottom outer edge of which is adapted to Contact thelabel l2 at i-ts fold line ld; an insert member or at block portion 34of'a material such as Teflon which is adapted to overlie the label atthe location of the plastic strip portions 16; and angle-shaped coverportion 36 which is secured over the member 34 and a holding plate 3Sboth of which are secured to the pressing member 32 by a bolt 3S. Theentire assembly 3l is held to the upper end of the pivoting andreciprocating folding element 2S by means of a bolt 38.

As best indicated in FIG. 4a, labels l2 are advanced into verticalalignment with the reciprocating block pressing element 26. Inaccordance with the invention, this element advantageously includes aheater d@ with interior induction coils 42 which are energized to heatthe block 26 through a cable connection 44. The block element 26reciprocates relative .to the folding element 2S and the entire assemblyis moved in the label folding and feeding cycle by means of a barelement 46 which contacts one or more sides of the pivoting andreciprocating element 28 by means (not shown herein but fully describedin Patent 2,680,612), The sliding block element 26 is reciprocatedduring and in timed relationship to the movement of the whole assemblyby means connected through the pin 4S. As indicated in FlGS. 4a and 4b,feeder elements indicated at 5t) are adapted to move together andadvance the label l2 into alignment with the reciprocating block 26 andthereafter they are adapted to release the label and move outwardlytherefrom, as indicated in FIG. 4b.

With the label positioned over the block 26, -the entire assemblyincluding the sliding block 26 and the folding element 28 is movedupwardly to cause the sliding block element 26 to contact the undersideof the label l2 while an anvil or angle member 52 is moved downwardlythereover to hold it in position. Immediately thereafter, the foldingmember 28 is moved so that the outer edge thereof contacts the free endof lthe label adjacent fold line ld and directs the label over the anglemember S2.

As indicated in FIG. 4c, when the label is held around the anvil 52bythe upwardly moved slide 26 and the upper assembly 3l of the foldingelement 2S, the portion of the label l2 which has adhesive at the arealll underlies the insert 34. However, the end of the label is foldedaround the anvil by the metal portion of the folding element 32 and bythe forward portion of the folding element 28. In addition, heat isapplied to the label for pressing purposes through the sliding blockelement 26.

It has been found with such an arrangement that the heat which issupplied through the block element 26 is sufficient to cause a permanentcrease of the label and still prevent the transfer of a large amount ofheat tothe label in the vicinity of the plastic strip portions 16. Afeature of the arrangement is that heat may be directed through thelabel from the block element 26 to the metal portion 32 of the foldingassembly 31. Thus, the heating is localized at the location of the foldlines 14, I4 on each side of the label and very little, if any, heat isdirected in the area adjacent lthe plastic or resin at 14. (It should beappreciated -that the apparatus has been described in connection withthe folding of one end of a label, but the operation is identical inrespect to the other end.)

If there is any tendency for heat to melt the plastic at the stripportions 16, there will be no melting of the plastic beyond the Tefloninsert 34, so that there is no tendency for the label to become stuck orfor the plastic material to clog the operating parts of the machine.

Thus, the modified design permits the handling of labels having resinousmeans for adhering the label to a garment on a machine which wasdesigned for labels which were to be sewn to a garment. The arrangementis unique and unexpected inasmuch as great difficulty was encountered inobtaining an adequate crease on the label so that it would not return toits original shape, while still insuring that the resinous material onthe label would not clog the machinery.

With the construction set forth, metal portions are arranged to contacteach side of the label at the area of the fold lines and applysufficient heat thereto to insure a permanent crease.

As indicated in FIG. 4d, after the label has been initially pressed withthe anvil member 52 in position, the

'anvil member 52 is moved outwardly and upwardly and the folding element28 moves downwardly into a pressing position to tightly press the labelonto the heated block element 26. Thereafter, the pivoting andreciprocating folding element 23 is moved outwardly and downwardly torelease the label to permit it to be carried off and packed in acontainer `in a folded position. During the entire operation, theresinous portions i4 of the label 12 remain undisturbed. In addition,due to the unique pressing element arrangementV and the arrangement ofthe Teflon insert 34, none of the plastic material becomes adhered tothe operating portions of the machine.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed to illustrate the application of the Vinventive principles, itwill be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise withoutdeparting from such principles.

What is claimed is:

In a label folding and pressing device, comprising a movable blockelement, a slide reciprocable in said block element, a folding memberpivotally connected to said lblock element and being movable therewith,means to advance labels into alignment with said slide, said slide beingmovable against one side of said label at a spaced location from an endthereof, said folding member being movable to deflect the end of saidlabel over the opposite side of the portion of said label engaged bysaid slide to fold and press the label, the improvement comprising meansto handle labels having heat-sealable resin bearing areasthereonadjacent the ends thereof, including means to heat said slidecarried by said slide, a folding assembly carried at the upper end ofsaid folding member including a portion non-adherent to plastic whentacky and arranged to overlie the resinous areas of said label when saidfolding member is in a folding and pressing position, a metal portionadapted to overlie the fold line of said label and a portion of saidblock when said block and said folding member are in a position to foldand press said label, said folding assembly carried at the upper end ofsaid folding 5 6 member including an L-shaped member and an outwardlysaid plastic member extending outwardly from said back extending metalportion adapted to overlie the edge of portion. said block when in afolding and pressing position, a plastic member having characteristicssuch that resinous ma- References Cited rl the me 0f this Patent terialis non-adherent thereto extending outwardly from 5 UNITED STATES PATENTSsaid back portion and including a portion extending downwardly forming asurface to overlie the area of said label gbnlrln; 289 having theresinous material thereon, a holding plate over 2785729 Smith et gl Mar19 1957 lying said plastic member, and a covering element over

